Fragile Naishboards?

[PonoBill]

Almost any product made in Asia needs frequent supervision to maintain quality. You'd think by now that would be less true, but in general, the products are not the manufacturers brand--they have different incentives than the brand owner has. So they cut corners, and go too far until someone steps on them.  Weird but true.

Jimmy spends a lot of time in Vietnam. He likes it there, for various reasons. Starboard is located in Thailand, Svein lives there. I'm sure the other brands have local representation, but shit happens. I also suspect that brand owners cut corners too--the margin for SUP boards isn't what it used to be. Naish tends to be the first to raise prices, I suspect their supply chain is expensive. They might have looked to avoid price hikes and maintain margin by trimming material costs. We'll probably never know.

I do know that Naish race boards went through a very fragile spell. They seem better now. Some of the early Starboard carbon boards were eggshells. they're better now too.

[Henrik F]

Carbon and glass act very different in a impact, carbon is brittle and shaters on impact but damage should stay localised glass dissipates the impact more with less damage but over a larger area. The thing you really have to look for is the layup shedule they state which they have a habit of changing every year! Only take these with a pitch of salt though as they all have a habit of trying to  deceive everyone with minimal info. Most brands have had good and bad years on there race board line 13-14 was bad for sb 13,14,15 bad for fanatic naish were not great 15/16 from the ones I had in for repair. It's is also worth noting that often brands do not build all there boards in the same factory some of the cheaper constructions are often made with less skilled laybour and lower quality materials in other countries.

Exactly the years and brands my friend talks about but in Naish case there are just more damage and dings that just shouldn't be there. Spoke to him yesterday and he agrees with what you are saying. Almost all brands cut corners. It is not unusual to find boards where the carbon been sanded through and just painted over to cover it up. Some french boards are almost impossible to repair because the shape is so poor that they have used shitloads of filler to cover it up.
I am ordering a custom from my friend so that I know that I get what I want and the quality that everyone should expect from every company.

Cheers

Henrik F

[Dwight (DW)]

My understanding of the Cobra Factory:
Same factory yes.... but each brand is fully independent of each other. Different tech, different employees, different materials, different management.

I believe Fanatics are made there and their HRS construction has no connection to the construction of other brands at the same factory.

Secrets are not shared.

I could be totally wrong... but the difference in quality coming out of the same factory, seems to support "total separation of teams" within the factory.
Anyone know for sure?

Here is how the factory works in the industry I used to work in, and likely at Cobra too.

The confidentiality is kept between between clients only. The factory workers know everything and shift around plant as demand requires. It must be this way to keep workers busy.

A client visiting plant will not be allowed to see another clients product in production. Employees will not speak about other clients.

[SUPsideATX]

It would be nice if they're was similar services like consumer reports that had post/present analysis info on all major SUP brands boards along with manufacturing info...something like the used car market analysis. I would think it would stabilize all the pricing on new/used boards along with holding the companies responsible for their defects.

[Eagle]

Remember seeing a vid posted by a Naish retailer/distributor and he commented that the Naish boards from 2016 were too light and fragile.  And the 2017 ones were beefed up and did not ding as much.  Probs makes sense as they try to find the best balance between cost/profit - light weight and reasonable durability.  All the brands seem to do this year over year.

[Bowerboy]

My wood deck nalu exploded when the nose hot the sand in 4 inch waves. The point of impact was about two inches wide yet the damage went right through the board. I accepted that a board with a riders weight hitting the sand will cause damage but I was surprised by the extent. I have subsequently got a naish quest 9'6 which is the opposite. Incredibly strong.

[Eagle]

This vid talks about better Naish durability for 2017 with a small weight penalty -

"the idea was to add some durability - to give the boards some more longevity to handle a few more bumps and bruises so the idea is our boards last a bit longer"

My SB carbon sandwich on my AS is actually much more fragile than the old bullet-proof standard carbon layup on my SB Touring.  So not too sure that carbon sandwich is always a good thing.  Really depends in my experience.  Not sure about the Naish CS though.

[ukgm]

This vid talks about better Naish durability for 2017 with a small weight penalty -

"the idea was to add some durability - to give the boards some more longevity to handle a few more bumps and bruises so the idea is our boards last a bit longer"

My SB carbon sandwich on my AS is actually much more fragile than the old bullet-proof standard carbon layup on my SB Touring.  So not too sure that carbon sandwich is always a good thing.  Really depends in my experience.  Not sure about the Naish CS though.

I've seen a couple of 2014 SB race boards that when sanded back, revealed missing sections of carbon entirely and some bare sections of foam. That's not fragility, that's cost cutting. However, I had a 2015 allstar that was brilliant. As others have suggested, there is a cyclic process of dropping weight which sees some years best avoided. My 2017 Naish has been great so far (and I was warned off getting a 2016 Jav as a training board due to its fragility).

[supuk]

According to the  specs on the naish site the board only has pvc sandwich on the deck and rails. on the video he says a "full pvc moulded core" which doesn't really make sense according to the specs. I also find it hard to understand how people can comment on durability on a brand new board after only a few weeks?? perhaps after 6mths or year maybe it would have some relevance but pressing on the skin with your thumb and going for a quick lap around a lake is not going to tell you much!

[yugi]

^ it tells you it's stronger than last years!

[ukgm]

I also find it hard to understand how people can comment on durability on a brand new board after only a few weeks?? perhaps after 6mths or year maybe it would have some relevance but pressing on the skin with your thumb and going for a quick lap around a lake is not going to tell you much!

That's probably fair as I get rid of my boards annually so don't have to worry about longer term durability.

[supuk]

^ it tells you it's stronger than last years!

It tells you they may be more durable but its not a fact as the company's seam to change so many variables each year, from the factory there made in to the process,materials,work force ect ect that  nothing is fact until its been proven which takes time but that's what you get when you are paying peanuts to monkeys.

[ukgm]

^ it tells you it's stronger than last years!

It tells you they may be more durable but its not a fact as the company's seam to change so many variables each year, from the factory there made in to the process,materials,work force ect ect that  nothing is fact until its been proven which takes time but that's what you get when you are paying peanuts to monkeys.

.........plus strength and durability may not mean the same thing.......

[Area 10]

I also find it hard to understand how people can comment on durability on a brand new board after only a few weeks?? perhaps after 6mths or year maybe it would have some relevance but pressing on the skin with your thumb and going for a quick lap around a lake is not going to tell you much!

That's probably fair as I get rid of my boards annually so don't have to worry about longer term durability.

It's people like you that are screwing it up for the rest of humanity

It's arguable as to whether most raceboards are fit for purpose. Given that rubbing is racing, and is an outdoor sport, and involves water, a board that will fall apart at the slightest tap in a race, or if left outdoors, or whose paintwork will go funky in damp environments, or looks like it belongs in a dumpster after only one season of normal use, cannot really be said to be built adequately IMO. Of course, the situation in the UK is particularly bad because there seem to be twice as many sponsored riders at races than non-sponsored ones. You guys are ready to pay pretty much anything if you think it will give you a competitive advantage, and only need the board to last a few months, so the manufacturers can sell you poorly-made dross.

[Area 10]

My 2017 Naish has been great so far.

I presume you mean the Maliko? How fast is it? I think if I was racing in the UK I'd have gone for the Jav instead. Have you tried the Maliko and Jav back-to-back in typical UK race conditions?